The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-11-30

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LOYAL TO THE UNION.
An Ex-Union Soldier Describes the Now
Famous "Rebel Flag Sccne."
Mr.. G. W. Clifford, a gentleman we'll
known to the business men of Nash
vile and Tennessee, was present at
the reunion of ex-Confederates at
Macon, Ga, which President Davis at
tended, and stood within q few feet of
him during the scenes of the review
of which the Northern Republican
press have had so much to say. Mr..
Clifford is a pronounced Republican
and an ex-Union soldier. is member
OF George H Thomas Post, No. /, G.
A. R. In an interview he said: Il
feel it my duty as an American citizen,
to protest against the wrong which is
being done the people of the South
and more particularly of Georgia in
the publications which are being made
by leading journals of my party in re-
gard to the conduct of ex-C onfederates
at the Macon reunion and the conduct
of Mr.. Davis. 1t is true that the al
legged incidents which are made the
basis of this assault by the Northern
and Eastern press occurred in Georgia,
but the assault has widened until it is
sought to reflect upon the loyalty of
the South. There were few Con-
federate flags fluttering but these
were principally in front of sa-
looms and underneath them were
placards stating the saloon was
ex-Confederate headquarters, the de-
vice evidently being a sharp dodge by
the saloon-keeper to attract custom.
Twas standing within ten feet Of
Mr.. Davis on the porch of Colonel
Johnson's residence where the meet
ing between him and the Confederate
veterans about which 80 much misrep-
resentation has been made occurred.
l saw the chair brought out and the
old man take his seat in it. When the
flag was pushed forward to the railing,
Mrs. Davis leaned forward and pluck
ing shred from its torn and tattered
folds, fell back in her chair and put
ting her hands to her face began to
weep. The scene was such that no
man could have resisted its pathos.
N OF an eye in that vast assemblage
was dry. Men wept, yes, but their
tears were not disloyalty to the Union,
but were forced from them by the sad
ness of the scene. Union soldiers who
were there wept and are not ashamed of
their emotion. Itwas in this excitement
the flag was pushed forward to Mr..
Davis. Rising with an effort, he con-
vulsively snatched its folds and pressed
them to his lips, then fell back in his
chair exhausted. Then arose cries for
Governor Gordon. He stepped to the
front and delivered speech which
was as loyal to the Union as any John
Sherman ever made.
When he referred to the perfect
union of the sections to-day under one
flag, the cheering was louder and more
spontaneous by far even than which
greeted the incident of the flag. No
man could have looked upon that as
semblage and heard their shouts and
honestly entertain the faintest idea
that these people are disloyal to the
Union. The flag was not torn to
pieces by men eager to preserve relics
of the emblem which Jefferson Davis
had kissed, as the Republican press
charge. 1t was quietly borne away.
and not a shred was taken from it ex-
cept that by Mrs. Davis. l walked
among the thousands of ex-Confeder-
ates at Macon, and talked with hum
dreds, and declare, with all sincerity
and truthfulness, that did not see or
hear single thing which indicated
any antagonism to the Union. l re-
that, after it was all over, l
was talking with party of men who
had fought for the Union, and hap
pened like me to be in Macon on bust
ness, and some one remarked that he
wondered if any attempt would be
made by the Republican press to
misrepresent the occasion, and
we agreed that those who
seek to make the people of other
sections believe that those cx-Confed-
crates had acted as enemies to the I'm
ion, and given vent to disloyal senti-
ments, would be nothing short of gross
injustice, and no man would have the
depraved imagination to attempt to do
so unless he were sensational news
paper correspondent. As men we felt
that we would be recreant to our sense
and consciences if we failed to recog-
nize the loyalty among these old vet
Grams, now our peaceful fellow-citizens.
Now see that the press of the North
has done great wrong. know the
injustice of the charges, and I feel it
my duty to say what l know. It would
be a base ingratitude to the people
among whom l live if / did not raise
my voice to protest against this misrep-
resentation; One little circumstance
illustrates the temper of the people.
| had occasion to spend good deal of
time at the depot looking after freight,
and frequently stopped to look at the
gaily decorated cars which had brought
Mr.. Davis from Mississippi. There
we're many flags upon it, but every one
was the flag of our Nation. -Nashville